Active 1942–1946 Role Bombardment | Country United States | |
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Branch United States Army Air Forces | ||
The 435th Bombardment Squadron, also known as the "Kangaroo" Squadron, is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Eighth Air Force 333d Bombardment Group, based at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. It was inactivated on May 28, 1946.
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History
Formed in Australia in early 1942 by a combination of Fifth Air Force personnel and B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft that escaped from the Philippines and replacement aircraft that reached Australia from Hawaii and via the South Atlantic air ferry route from Florida, and arriving in Western Australia. As the 40th Reconnaissance Squadron, the squadron evacuated General Douglas MacArthur and President Manuel Quezon from Del Monte Field in the Philippine Islands in March 1942.
Redesignated as 435th Bombardment Squadron and engaged in strategic bombardment of enemy targets in New Guinea; Coral Sea and Solomon Islands from Northern Queensland. Withdrawn from combat in November 1942 when the B-17C/E models in Australia were replaced by long-range B-24 Liberators, and the unit was returned to the United States and became an operational training unit with II Bomber Command for replacement B-17 personnel.
In April 1944, re-equipped with B-29 Superfortresses and assigned to Eighth Air Force on Okinawa during August 1945. Never engaged in combat due to Japanese Capitulation in August 1945. Remained on Okinawa until inactivated in May 1946.